Buy the Letter

[Galena May]

V- The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle

I read this novel for the first time when I was about 12-13 years old. It is a typical detective mystery novel with Sherlock Holmes as the detective. But, this story is very intriguing with at least half of it being a historical drama set in an ancient valley across a desert, settled upon by the Mormons. A starving man and a starving little girl, stranded on a desert as the last survivors of a caravan through the desert that perished due to lack of food and water, are rescued by a larger caravan of Mormons who therefore become their benefactor. The man and the little girl, his daughter, settle along with the Mormons in the valley that the Mormons choose, and are forced to pledge their undying loyalty to the Mormon chief, for saving their life. The Mormons, especially the chiefs, then twist the rules as time pass by, and become close to dictators. The entire Mormon community is oppressed under the chiefs and becomes part of a reign of terror. No one is allowed to leave or marry outside the community, under penalty of death. Talking about the chiefs is done in whispers because of the ruthless punishment of death for so much as a word of opposition against the chiefs. Trouble brews when the chiefs' sons fight over who will marry the man's daughter, and the daughter falls in love with a hunter outside the community. The daughter's lover helps the daughter and her father escape from the Mormon community, but they are caught and she is forcibly married to the Mormons as her father is killed, causing her to die of grief, and her lover seeks revenge against the chiefs' sons, following them into the more modern world to kill them, and is ousted by Sherlock Holmes.
When I first read the story, it was a thrilling page-turner for me, and I absolutely loved the drama involved that explained the motive of the crime. I did not know much about who exactly Mormons are, but I had enjoyed the story nonetheless. It being one of the first four novels of the Holmes series, Conan Doyle had left a lot of Holmes's methods in the dark, only disclosing what was absolutely necessary at the end. To an unfamiliar reader like me, it felt like Holmes was performing magic, deducing unrelated things from unrelated clues and getting them right, but Conan Doyle wanted to produce exactly that effect on his readers, as he himself mentioned in the book, and he succeeded in the best possible way in my opinion. When Holmes explained at the very end of the story (in fact, after the criminal narrated it himself after getting handcuffed) how Holmes got to his conclusions, I felt like "Wow, I never thought that you could tell that from that" and that was exactly the effect Conan Doyle had intended. I was in awe of Conan Doyle's writing style and his masterpiece character Sherlock Holmes, a weird detective with almost superhuman powers that were impossible to think of on one's own. It was tedious not to know how Holmes deduced what, until the very end, but there was a lot to enjoy and keep turning pages for, even without knowing.
I re-read it about a month ago, and found it as entertaining as before. I still felt intrigued by the drama involving the Mormons. I researched about Mormons this time, and though nothing in particular stood out, I noticed or rather formed an opinion that dictatorship is imminent in any community if a leader who is more intelligent/powerful than the rest manipulates the rest into giving him the authority to which they must show unquestioned loyalty. The very problem takes root from the word "unquestioned" being accepted, itself. Loyalty should never be unquestioned. The very chief who was earlier considered a "messiah" and saviour during difficult times by his community becomes the same person who then uses the unquestioned loyalty of those whom he saved to oppress them when times are good. The followers who make him their leader become the subject of his tyranny. This shows that power is a very tempting thing to abuse, and can corrupt anyone, even those who save lives.
How do I feel about the book now? I would love to read it thousands of times if I could and I would never tire of it because there is something new to discover or a new angle to explore it from, each time you go through it. That, by itself, in my opinion, is the novelty of Conan Doyle's writing. After reading the Holmes series, you can never think the same way again. You would automatically find yourself being more vigilant and observant of your surroundings, observing the minutest details and deducing big things from them. I call it the "Sherlock Holmes effect", and think that it lasts for at least a month after you read Conan Doyle's writing.

[Luna Ravenlong]

E-Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

I read this book last year, and at the time ranked it as one of my favourite books of the year. I thought it did a really good job of slowly unfolding the main characters past and the much darker side of her history. I liked the supporting characters and thought they all added something to the story and fleshed out Eleanor’s persona. I liked the unreliable narrator element, even though I did predict part of the ending.

I haven’t reread this but have thought about it quite a lot. I still really like the book, and think the author did a good job of creating a very well rounded and complicated character. I also think maybe it’s not a bad thing that a predicted part of the ending, as I that was possibly what the author wanted.

[Luna Ravenlong]

***Trigger Warning-mentions of war, violence and death***

I- In Memoriam by Alice Winn

I read this a few months ago and I think it’s one of my favourite books of all time. It does an exceptional job of weaving together the two side of the story-the boys going off to fight in WW1 and the love story between the two main characters (who have to hide their relationship both at the school were we first meet them and then in the trenches). It also does a brilliant job of showing the “enemy” side of the war, particularly in scenes in set in a POW camp, showing how bad the conditions are for both the prisoners and guards.

I will eventually reread this book, but it will likely take a while for me to be emotionally ready. I do think about it a lot, particularly as, although these are fictional characters, there were thousands of men and boys who really did lose their lives in the trenches. The fact that this book starts at a school we’re all the boys are ready to “go out and fight for England” without realising what it entailed breaks my heart. Especially as so many of them lied about their age and really were children when they were sent onto the battlefield. Despite how heartbreak I found this, it’s still an amazing book.

[Luna Ravenlong]

***Trigger warning-mentions of death***

V-Vicky Angel by Jacquline Wilson

I was probably about 9 when I first read this book and thought it was a well written story, that did a good job of expressing how difficult it can be to move on when you’ve lost someone. Especially as the two main characters are young teenagers, Vicky who dies suddenly in an accident, and her best friend Jade who she haunts. For a book aimed at children/young teens it showed how people grieve loss an a very accessible way.

I read this book a few more times as a pre-teen/teenager and got a bit more out of it as a got a bit older-particularly the fact the fact that Jade was really struggling to make new friends after Vicky death because of the hold the ghost of her still had. I haven’t read this since I was about 15, and hadn’t thought much about it until a was trying to come up with a book for this letter. I was surprised by how much I remembered of this book, but it didn’t stay with me the same way other books by this author (and other childhood books) have.

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Such interesting sounding books everyone is talking about! Thank you.

Your challenge for this week's Buy the Letter is to find books that you've read whose names begin with K, P and U.

Yes, yes, probably you can all recite the drill but here it is again.

Here are reminders of 'what to do' and 'with what', as you proceed to find your books:

What you write will have two distinct parts:
First you write about the book, sort of like a book review, but you are telling us what it was like when you read it. Did you like it? Was it something about which you had great enthusiasm or was it something that you finished and never intended to pick it up again ever? When did you read this book? A year ago? Ten years ago? Last week?
Second - write how you feel about the book now. Do you have a different opinion of it? Have you since re-read the book, perhaps several times, and gaining appreciation of it each time? Or do you wish you'd never read it?

The minimum number of words, total, for the first and second parts, is 100 words (excluding the name of the book and the author). You are welcome to write more, of course.

Again, please remember to make sure that the books of which you write are HOL appropriate. As stated in our introductory post -- "Ideally, you should be posting about things that are suitable for even our younger members to read (the later Harry Potter Books are generally a good guide for the level of threat, language, and violence that is advisable)." Even if your book meets the 'appropriateness guide for younger members' of HOL, if you believe your book tackles darker or emotional themes then please include a disclaimer so that everyone can make an informed choice.

Remember, you have 6 to 7 days to write your reviews and then we will be giving you the next set of 'letters to buy'.

Enjoy!

PS - I'm going to chime in later on with a post about a very favorite book which whose name starts with a P. Can you guess what it is? I bet Sky could guess what it is!

[River Fenwick]

WARNING: This books depicts violence and death

K - Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin

This is one of the more recent books I've read. It's the first of a series of mystery books. The book is about a detective named John Rebus, who has a past that haunted him. He was never particularly interested in rising through the ranks and mostly kept his head down until a string of murders from the work of a serial killer plagued the town. I enjoyed the book, and I remember being able to picture the scenes vividly thanks to the detailed descriptions in the books.

As I read the book recently, I still feel the same about it, though I absolutely should read the others in the series to get more background on the detective and how he progresses as a character.

[River Fenwick]

P - Paper Towns by John Green

I read this book in my early teens, as I did many of John Green's books. The book revolves around a teenage boy named Quentin, nicknamed Q, as he tries to find his missing childhood friend and crush, Margo. I recall being hooked on the book, rooting for Q as he found clues and discovered things about his friend that he likely wouldn't have if she hadn't gone missing. It's a well-written book with many moments that could be relatable to those of any age.

Surprisingly, I haven't reread this book, though I'm a bit more standoff about it now. I likely missed the point of multiple instances in the book that may affect how I feel about it now. I'd rather keep it as a happy memory.

[River Fenwick]

WARNING: This book depicts themes of death and grief

U - The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

I want to say I read this book around when it came out, though I wouldn't know for sure. As you may guess from the title, this book revolves around a woman named Greta James, who is a musician. Her career is going well as things start to pick up for her, but her mother's death, who was her biggest fan, halts it. She has to deal with grief while trying to continue with her newfound stardom in her career, though she suffers from new challenges as a result, such as creative blocks. It was very emotional, but seeing how grief is captured in books is always great, especially with such an immediate relationship.

I probably wouldn't reread the book, as this type of book is very one-and-done for me. I focused more on the grief aspect when I read it, but it's supposed to be a bittersweet story that shows the ups, with Greta being inspirational in her darkest time.

[Galena May]

P - Pink Pages by Sarah Delmege

I went back and read the introductory post and realized that I don't necessarily have to write about novels or story books. Pink Pages is a fun non-fiction guide sort of book for teenage girls that I had absolutely loved reading when I was younger. So, I decided to write about this one. It is full of sleepover tips, make- up tips, fun horoscopes, teenage games for girls, dream guides, dream diaries, and personality quizzes. One fun thing that I remember vividly from this book is an exercise asking to choose three animals by intuition. I picked cat, horse, and dog in that order. My preferences might have changed with age but this is what it was back then. The next page described what my choices meant. They said that the order in which I picked the three animals meant that my soul was like that of a cat, people saw me as a horse, and I wanted people to see me like a dog. Overall, you could call it the kind of read that gives you something fun to do when you are bored or tired, and at the same time gives you little tips for your life and helps you get to know yourself more. It was an absolutely fascinating tool to pass time and still get something from it. I used to carry it around with me and read a page or two at off -times throughout the day. I can't say that I hated any part of it. I absolutely loved it all. It is in general suitable for young girls. The only problem I had with it was that it was only 96 pages and once I had finished them all, there was nothing left to do or read in the book. The book was so short, that although it was one you wanted to read on, I had to consciously limit myself to five pages a day only, just so I wouldn't finish it too quickly. It is not the kind of book that you can redo, like a puzzle you have already solved once. I got the book when I was in my fifth grade and about 9 years old. It was a book that my classmate had bought from a 3- day bookfair by a certain publication that sometimes visited our school. From the same bookfair, I had bought a book containing the classic princess fairytales, the title of my book being The Princess Diaries or something similar. My classmate and I then let each other borrow each other's books and I got to take her Pink Pages home as she took my book The Princess Diaries home. I had finished reading the entirety of Pink Pages by two weeks or a few days more, even after consciously limiting myself to 5 pages a day after I realized within the first three days of borrowing, that I was reading too fast. My classmate took a month to finish the book I had let her borrow, and she would probably have kept it longer, but I was so impatient to return the Pink Pages that she had to bring The Princess Diaries (or whatever the name was) back to me at the end of the month, poor girl. I haven't read Pink Pages since.

But, now, since I have changed over the years, I would love to go back and read it and see if there's anything I would answer differently. My love for horoscopes, personality quizzes, dream guides, as well as girly things, still exists, so I don't think I am against the idea of re-reading it even though it is meant for teenage girls. Also, I have forgotten most of the stuff by now, because it was so long ago, so it will feel as good as new. I was, in fact, just now looking for a pdf download of Pink Pages on the Muggle internet, but found none for free, so if I am going to pay for it, then I will take the paperback version just to smell the pages as I redo the book, and I decided that I will have a copy of it delivered to me through online shopping one of these days.

Update - It wasn't The Princess Diaries, it was the Princess Party.

[Galena May]

U - Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

I borrowed this book from my cousin when I was in my eighth grade at school. I had seen this book on my cousin's bookshelf, and for some reason, the title attracted me. My cousin did not make a fuss lending it to me (we weren't the best of friends, it was always like a cat and dog rivalry between us), and I grabbed the opportunity of his benevolence to take the book back home with me. I kept it for about 3 months before I returned it, because it was a little difficult to understand, and I kept forgetting to finish it. The author's background was unknown to me back then. The elements in the story were very emotional to me, depicting how the mentalities of the characters played an important role in the conditions of their slaves. It was heartbreaking how disposable the slaves could be treated as, especially when their owners were in some sort of trouble, yet there was a friendliness and warmth between some of the people from the family of the owners and the slaves. The slaves had the utmost respect for their owners, despite their own living conditions, and were far more resilient and integrated by human -to-human ties than the owners were. To me, it seemed from the book that poverty and oppression makes sure that love is better understood and fellow human beings are valued. I admit that I have forgotten the whole story, but one incident that I vividly remember was when a slave woman, who didn't want to be separated from her child when the owners were forced to sell her (even after they promised that they wouldn't separate them), jumped into the river heroically despite injuring herself in an attempt to cross the river and escape. This showed the desperation of a mother for her child. I vividly remember the author writing something along the lines of - the slave woman was like a tigress, it felt as if she had displayed inhuman strength in her attempt to escape. I remember this because it struck a chord in me and made me realise how strong a mother's love can be and how fierce a mother can be when it comes to her baby. I don't even remember if I ultimately finished the book and how the story ended, but it was a great read. I haven't re-read it.

Looking back, I still feel strongly about that incident in the book. I faintly remember reading about the slave mother interacting with a woman in the owner's family inside the owner's house for the purpose of work, and some mention of a child. I think that I would love to pick it up again one of these days, although I am afraid that I may not be able to find the patience and/or time to see it through to the end. On the other hand, I am more than glad that slavery has been abolished from the world and we do not have that social problem to deal with anymore. It gives me solace to think that the times have changed, because it gives me goosebumps to think that a family of humans would have to rely upon the disposition, demeanor, and whims of their owner, even for the basic need of security and stability such as the ability to live with one's own family. Imagine dreading every moment that a family member would be sold off to a different owner and they or you would have absolutely no say in it. I imagine none of us would be able to comprehend such a thing, because it would be unthinkable to us. We are very secure in that at least no one has any right upon our lives and our family. Anyway, even if I have almost forgotten everything, I remember the overall feel of the book. It was on a positive note, like a solution towards how to abolish the ills of slavery, therefore I can say with confidence that it was a great book, and if I have at least a week long vacation to myself, I'd read all of Uncle Tom's Cabin. I also discovered something new about the author as I google- searched the book just now to refresh the author's full name in my memory. I found out that the author had attempted to prove that the religious views of Christianity went against slavery and therefore Christianity was the solution to slavery. This gives me a new reason to read the book again for.

[Galena May]

K - Kidnapped by R. L. Stevenson

This book is about a 17 year old boy called David Balfour, who after his father's death, goes to his uncle's estate, hoping to be provided money. Instead, he finds that his uncle is a miser as well as a miserable and paranoid human being with weird requirements for David to comply with. One day, he tricks David into climbing a broken tower of the house, in an attempt to kill him. David, having nowhere else to go, resignedly accepts his fate. His uncle eventually has David tricked and kidnapped, proving that he was reluctant to give David anything. It touched me that poor David had to go through such ills by his own uncle because of being an orphan. It did somewhat shake my faith in the notion of 'family'. The attempt to kill David made me feel repulsed by his uncle. David, however, after a series of curious incidents throughout the book, which involve a girl and even a political conspiracy, returns right back to his uncle, and eventually finds out that all of his uncle's estate is rightfully his, not just some money, which then explains the uncle's paranoid behavior. I loved how he got the whole estate back not just a roof and money from his uncle because throughout the story, I had been feeling sorry for David, especially because of his uncle's repulsive behavior towards his own orphaned nephew.
I don't remember it as a page-turner, but I had borrowed it from my school library in my seventh grade for a week, just to get another popular classic added to my repertoire, even though I had initially felt revolted by the title. I liked the story, but not like loved it. I remember feeling very sorry for David and his circumstances and wishing that no orphan would have an uncle like that. Throughout the story, I developed a respect for David's character as he battled his hardships and made friends through his friendliness and got helped by his clever friends in return to dupe his uncle who had so maliciously duped him and denied him what was so rightfully his. I found him a resilient, loyal, and strong character. I had mostly read it fast, because I had to return it to the library within a week to avoid having to pay a fine or else I would have been slower with the book. Overall, I could call it an interesting read. I haven't read it since.

Looking back, I am still revolted by treating an orphaned family member like that, irrespective of his uncle's relationship with his father. I think that overall the story showed themes about humans, such as the correct and wrong uses of deceit and trickery. I think that, to some measure, the author attempted to show the consequences of being very naive and trusting like David in a deceitful and greedy world that likes to cheat others and is greedy for money. He also shows that the only way to survive in a world full of deceit is through deceit itself i.e. by being ready to deceive, through the example of how his friends help him deceive his uncle to take back his rightful property in the end. When David returns to his uncle's house, he returns a mature gentleman with cunning friends, who learns more about deceit through his friends, as opposed to the David who was kidnapped from his uncle's house, a naive and trusting, lonely, but kind orphan. I would not mind re-reading it if I had enough time for a novel of that size.

[Luna Ravenlong]

Trigger Warning-mentions of violence and murder

K- Kala by Colin Walsh

I read this book a couple of months ago, and thought it was a well written novel. I thought the switching timeframes between the present day, and the disappearance of the title character 15 years before worked really smoothly and I liked the way it showed a lot of the characters were still haunted by the past, and seemed stuck as the teenagers they’d been, unable to move on from Kala’s disappearance. I did think the ending was well done, as though I had guessed who had made Kala disappear, I was expecting the end to play out differently. I did expect the level of violence, but was surprised there weren’t more deaths. There were other hidden secrets that I didn’t see coming, so still got an unpredictable ending.

I still think about this book very occasionally, and think that it does hold its place among one of the best thrillers of 2024. It was a well developed novel, with interesting characters and enough twists to keep it interesting. I probably will reread this in a year or two, as I’d like to see how it holds up the second time round.

[Luna Ravenlong]

Trigger warning-mentions of death and murder

P-The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

I first read this when I was in my early teens and absolutely adored this novel. Wilde is a brilliant writer, and this is a beautifully written book, with a dark storyline. The first time reading, I really didn’t like Dorian as a character (and several others) from the start as I didn’t really know very much about the sort of Victorian upper class society that they were part of. I did still really enjoy the story, and found the ending incredibly shocking.

I’ve reread this several times and still think it holds up extremely well in the modern day. The idea of trying to hold on to youth and beauty resonates much more as an adult. Dorian seems a more complex character on rereading, and I now understand that he is very much a product of the society he was born and raised in. Despite still thinking his actions of taking out several people who were closing in on his secret is despicable, I feel now that he became trapped in a web he couldn’t get out of.

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

P - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has been around for a long time. I had, of course, known about it for ages. It's famous, isn't it? It wasn't until Sky Alton told me about it, enthused about it, basically (if not literally) forced me to read it, that I read it. (Yes, that is 'read it' as in 'rEEd' and then 'read it' as in 'RED' ... English is a very strange language ...)

I loved this book. (And I told Sky that! ) Oh, yes, I highly recommend it to everyone to at least try it. You will know, almost immediately, if you like the way the story is written. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but there are many who reluctantly tried it and ended up devouring it.

Not only did I read it, then I watched at least three video/movie versions of it, a couple of movies (one made in 1938), and a BBC show and then, for fun, after watching them, I watched Pride and Prejudice and Zombies which was actually pretty good!

How do I feel about it now? It's a lovely world into which to enter, filled with a full complement of all different kinds of people, and how they interact with each other -- and it's, as has been written so often, a 'timeless' love story. It may well be time for a re-read.

PS - Thank you, Sky, for badgering me into reading this wonderful story.

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

We are getting close to the last of the letters. Which will come next?

This week's Buy the Letter letters are N, Q and S.

Repeat with me!

Here are reminders of 'what to do' and 'with what', as you proceed to find your books:

What you write will have two distinct parts:
First you write about the book, sort of like a book review, but you are telling us what it was like when you read it. Did you like it? Was it something about which you had great enthusiasm or was it something that you finished and never intended to pick it up again ever? When did you read this book? A year ago? Ten years ago? Last week?
Second - write how you feel about the book now. Do you have a different opinion of it? Have you since re-read the book, perhaps several times, and gaining appreciation of it each time? Or do you wish you'd never read it?

The minimum number of words, total, for the first and second parts, is 100 words (excluding the name of the book and the author). You are welcome to write more, of course.

Again, please remember to make sure that the books of which you write are HOL appropriate. As stated in our introductory post -- "Ideally, you should be posting about things that are suitable for even our younger members to read (the later Harry Potter Books are generally a good guide for the level of threat, language, and violence that is advisable)." Even if your book meets the 'appropriateness guide for younger members' of HOL, if you believe your book tackles darker or emotional themes then please include a disclaimer so that everyone can make an informed choice.

Remember, you have 6 to 7 days to write your reviews and then we will be giving you the next set of 'letters to buy'.

Have fun!

[Emily Spencer]

N-1984 (Nineteen Eighty Four) by George Orwell

Big Brother is Watching!!! Literally, he is! Although 1984 is a memory now, back when the book was written (1949) it was the distant future, and this is how it was imagined the future would look like. Set in a dystopian future, the book tells the story of Winston and Julia, two citizens who join a movement known as the Brotherhood, who wishes to overthrow the current regime, collectively known as Big Brother. Resistance, however, is a dangerous game, as the Thought Police are ruthless in their quest to ferret out any and all dissenters. Throw love into the mix, and it’s a recipe for some very interesting times.

I read the book during my junior year of high school, as was assigned by my Literature teacher. i don’t think it’s any secret now that Dystopian fiction is one of my favorite genres, and this one certainly did not disappoint. At the time, it was rather unsettling and admittedly, a bit scary to contemplate such a bleak future (well, past actually in my case lol). But it rang of enough truth that it made you believe it could definitely happen, no matter what the year. I loved it!

How I feel about it now:

I haven’t reread it in a long time, but I’ve just discovered the sequel Julia so I think it’s time that I dust it off and read it one more time. I can’t see any reason why I still would not like it, despite knowing how it all ends. In fact, I anticipate liking it even more the second time around; looking at it through mature eyes might allow we to catch details that I may have missed the first time around. This time, granted, there won’t be the “what is going to happen to them” intense moment,but that’s actually okay with me. i can concentrate on the journey, not just wait with bated breath for the outcome.

To my recollection, it doesn’t read like a ‘literally classic’, and the writing style is no detriment (as it is in some classics, at least for me). I would recommend it to anyone who loves this genre without hesitation. I guess that’s why they call it a ‘classic; the appeal is timeless. At least, it is in my book.

[River Fenwick]

WARNING: Mentions of suicide and death

N - Nine by Zach Hines

I first read this book in 2020. It's a dystopian book about an alternative reality where humans have nine lives instead of one. After burning through each life, physical and mental upgrades are offered to encourage people to use up some lives to control overcrowding issues, though Julian is determined to stay on his first life. Overall, it was an entertaining book at the time, though the frequent mention of death was a cause for concern.

I feel the same about the book now, though it feels more mediocre as I recall the details. It's true to its genre, and I enjoy that it's set in an alternative reality as a dystopian book rather than the future. Now that COVID-related deaths have declined, the death aspect doesn't bother me as much as when I first read it.

[Emily Spencer]

Q-(The) Queen by Matthew Dennison

The book is a biography of Queen Elizabeth II, chronologically from earliest girlhood until well into her long reign. Of course, there is the courtship with Prince Philip, as well as her troubles with her sister, Margaret.

One thing I loved about this book was the honesty of it. I read it when it first came out a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised. Being a certified Anglophile, I have ready many books about the Royal Family, particularly Queen Elizabeth II. Some are crammed through with dates and facts, which can become very dry, very quickly. Others are what I call “rainbow and sunshine” books, where one can almost get a cavity from the sugar sprinkled in the characterization of the main players. I much prefer to have the story told through an honest lens, and this one did just that.

How I feel about it now:
I haven’t read this particular book again, though I can tell you with all certainty that my feelings about it will not have changed. No matter how many times I read about them, I never tire of the subject. Granted, some are better than others, as I noted before, but the story itself fascinates me. If I were British, I would no doubt be a Royalist…lol.

So for all you anglophiles out there, I cannot recommend this one enough. Mr. Dennison has other autobiographies that are just as good, in case you’re interested. Let me know what you think! God save the Queen…always!

[Emily Spencer]

S-Splintered by A.G. Howard

This is actually the first book of a series, and it’s a new take on the Alice in Wonderland story. In this version, the ability/curse of Wonderland has been passed down to teenager Alyssa Gardner, giving her the ability to speak to/understand plants and animals. Of course, she keeps this to herself, lest she end up in the same mental institution as her mother, Alice.

I first read this book a few months ago, and the story was intriguing enough to hold my interest. I love story retelling, so that was a big plus for me, too. That being said, the book did devolve into way more teenage angst and romance than I really liked, and even all the overall story was good, it left me a bit disappointed that the whole Alice angle seemed to play second fiddle to which boy Alyssa liked more. I would deem it a romantasy.

How I feel about it now:
I did go ahead and read the whole series, and it wasn’t bad, it really wasn’t. But like I said, I am not a big romance fan (fantasy or otherwise), so I cannot envision it being a book I will revisit. I don’t know if it was geared for a younger audience, but I suspect it was (and nothing wrong with that). My 13 y/o daughter is reading it right now and loving it. Go figure! I have not read anything else by the author, and I am no hurry to do so. It’s not ruled out as a possibility, mind you, but I have so many other books I am excited about reading that I can say with certainty that it won’t be anytime soon.

[Adeline Morior]

N - New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

I do not remember when I read this but believe me it was a long time ago. I think it was my first Vampire series I ever read so it made an impact on me and I loved it. Each book contributing to the series just made me more excited to further the story. I was enthusiastic about it and I think I read it in one sitting.

Would I read it again? Maybe, but probably not. I have read many other books in the meantime with stories I feel are far better and better written (nothing against the author). I was also very young when I first read this so I would most likely feel very different reading it again.